Last Night in Brooklyn

by Xóchitl González

New York Times bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez delivers a captivating story about a young woman whose life becomes ensnared in her glamorous neighbor’s secret past, laying bare the mounting tensions at play in a rapidly gentrifying, early 2000’s Fort Greene, Brooklyn.


SPRING, 2007


At twenty-six, Alicia Canales Forten feels smothered by her future. She’s in a long-distance relationship, living at home with her mother’s beliefs, saving up for her wedding to a future doctor. But after Alicia ventures out one night in the neighborhood of Fort Greene, Brooklyn, she finds herself lured by the siren song of youth and possibility that the striving crowd of creatives holds, and moves in.


No one embodies this more than La Garza, a larger-than-life, up-and-coming fashion designer whose epic house parties fuel neighborhood lore. La Garza’s life, observed by Alicia from her apartment across the street, seems to hold the allure and fearlessness Alicia has never dared to imagine for herself.



But when Alicia’s wealthy banker cousin moves to the neighborhood, she finds herself increasingly drawn into both his and La Garza’s precarious lives.


Against the backdrop of a potentially life-changing presidential election and a looming once-in-a-generation fiscal crisis, Last Night in Brooklyn explores the dark compromise of the American Dream for people of color living, unknowingly, in the twilight of a cultural moment. It is a story about everything money can buy–and the destruction of what it can’t.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, New York, Adult Fiction, Friendship

256 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication April 21, 2026

About the author

I'm a native of Brooklyn, New York, where I was raised by my maternal grandparents in South Brooklyn. A proud graduate of the New York City public school system, I studied performing arts at Edward R. Murrow high school before getting my B.A. in Fine Art and Art History at Brown University in 1999. Nearly twenty years later, on the eve of my 40th birthday, I decided to listen to the long whispered dream of writing. I attended The Bread Loaf Writers' Conference and then was accepted to the Iowa Writers' Workshop where I was an Iowa Arts Fellow and recipient of the Michener-Copernicus Prize for Fiction. I completed my MFA in May of 2021 at the tender age of 43. Before writing I worked as an entrepreneur, consultant, wedding planner, fund-raiser, tarot reader and writer of etiquette columns. I currently live back in Brooklyn with my dog Hectah Lavoe.

Reviews

[Book Riot Community]

Book Riot’s Most Anticipated Books of 2026:

Putting aside my discomfort that a historical novel can be set in 2007, this is a fantastic meditation on a very particular moment in Brooklyn history. The neighborhood where the main character, Alicia, lives is Fort Greene. She finds joy and possibility in the all-night parties thrown by her neighbor La Garza. Neither Alicia nor her friends realize that the coolness of Fort Greene is going to upend the neighborhood. Before the construction of the Barclays Center, and right at the tipping point of Brooklyn becoming expensive, Alicia and her friends and family try to find their way in NYC. —Julia Rittenberg

[SH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here she goes again! Xochitl Gonzalez has a gift for writing about place and its evolution. I couldn't put this book down. From start to finish I was enchanted by the rich narration that made me feel like each of the characters was someone I knew in a past life. The point of view is reflective. Gonzalez captured that nostalgic feeling we all experience when looking back at a moment in time and seeing in hindsight how it irrevocably shaped our future. The discussions of class and gentrification were nuanced and complex in a way that mirrored things I've only felt and never been able to articulate. A masterpiece yet again.

[Meghan Vanderstelt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Flatiron Bookd for the ARC of Last Night in Brooklyn by Xochitl Gonzalez. This was a vivid and character-driven read. The author’s voice is sharp, modern, and emotionally rich, pulling you straight into the rhythm of Brooklyn life. The characters were easily the standout for me—complex, flawed, and full of depth in a way that made every interaction feel real. The flow felt a little choppy despite the fast clip of the book but overall well done in a way that is so fresh and modern. Gonzalez excels again.

[Kristine]

I like Xóchitl González as a writer. Her prior books and I found compelling.

I always like reading books set in Brooklyn, NY as I have been there so many times. Looking forward to this new book coming out next year, April 7, 2026.

[Courtney Pityer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this in a giveaway I tried reading but I unfortunately couldn't get into it.

[Kate (Reading Through Infinity)]

Magnetic and absolutely riveting.

[Sacha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

I'm a FAN of this author. I loved _Olga Dies Dreaming_, and I really enjoyed _Anita_, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on this audiobook. While I did enjoy the read, the degree to which I've REALLY enjoyed Gonzalez's previous efforts made this feel a little underwhelming.

Alicia is extremely relatable when readers first meet her. She's in her mid-20s and feeling really caught between the disappointments of her romantic relationship and the expectations that she and others have about how she's going to skyrocket out of her circumstances in favor of some sort of near magical upgrade. When Alicia reconnects with friends and family members from her past in new ways, she begins to immediately wonder about her choices and future possibilities.

Gonzalez does two things incredibly well here. First, Alicia is giving quarter-life realizations in big, obvious, extremely genuine ways. I felt like in some ways I was looking into images of my own life at that point. More seasoned readers may have similar thoughts about the follies of these characters' youths (and their own!) and feel grateful for what they've learned and for how effectively Gonzalez portrays this stage of life. Another clear success? The atmospheric nature of the novel overall. Gonzalez writes exceptionally, not just in her novels but also in nonfiction, about the importance of place, and she makes the location a character. The allure of Alicia's life is really about Brooklyn more so than her immediate circumstances, and anyone who lives in or has spent significant time in a place like this will also appreciate the soul crushing nature of having to consider leaving a place that made you and is a fundamental part of you.

Now, all of these love notes aside, this book just feels too pedestrian. The extremely developed characters, social issues, and themes I'm used to in Gonzalez's work are just not working on the level I anticipated. It's good but not the extremely memorable, moving missive I eagerly anticipated.

Two huge wins followed by a strong but not earth shattering book? I still feel very lucky to have gotten to read this and am already waiting eagerly for what this writer will create next.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this alc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[CarlysGrowingTBR · Rating 5 out of 5]

General Thoughts:
This book had so many things going for it. I admit when I read the synopsis I wasn't 100% sure this was something I was going to enjoy. Which makes the fact that it was one of the best reads I've read this month even the more surprising. I don't think the synopsis does a good job of explaining just how emotionally charged, messy, and layered this book is. But I'm here to tell you it was riveting.

I read this book in one day. I know it's not a very long book but honestly, I felt like I've been reading for an hour by the time I finished. It went by so quickly, the pacing was absolutely perfect for me and there was always something happening for the storyline. The characters all had an interwoven story that was interesting and fresh.

The culture and community of Brooklyn was definitely felt throughout the novel. I myself have never been to Brooklyn, but I felt like a true Brooklynite reading this story and being immersed in the culture and community. The feeling of the streets and family were felt.

Is this book full of Messi, Family and friend drama?? Absolutely it is and it was of the best kind. I could not take my eyes from the page for any reason.

Really enjoyed this and really happy that it's my first five star read of the year.

Things to Love:
* Sense of community
* Love song to Brooklyn
* Complex and flawed characters
* Messy premise

Things to Question:
* Nothing. Really enjoyed this one

Book Stats:
📖: 256 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Format: Physical ARC
Series: STANDALONE

Audiobook Stats:
⏰: 7 hours 37 minutes
🎤: Elizabeth Rodriguez
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Format: Single POV/Timeline

Was the narration good??
* I enjoyed the narration for this one. A couple of the voices used for some of the characters were a little hard to get used to it first but eventually they blended into the story and felt unnatural. Overall, really happy with the audiobook experience.

Disclaimer: I read this book as a gifted physical ARC from the publisher and a gifted audiobook from NetGalley. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review

[Igor DelRey · Rating 3 out of 5]

For anyone who has read at least 1 previous book by this author, Last Night in Brooklyn will feel no different.
We follow a young female main character, Alicia, who is torn between what is expected from her and what she really wants for her in life. There are also different characters who enter Alicia's life and they'll give her different perspectives, ideas, desires, and healing.
Brooklyn itself works as a character of its own, so we, the readers, witness what happens not only to Alicia's growth as a person, but also to the changes the borough is going through.

I loved Gonzalez's debut, and even though I didn't particularly love her sophomore novel, I was very excited for her third and new novel.
This one reminds me a little of Olga Dies Dreaming...however, I couldn't connect to any of the characters on Last Night in Brooklyn the way I did with Olga.
I do not think, at all, that there is anything essentially wrong with this book. I personally didn't relate to Alicia as a character or anyone else, as a matter of fact.. Sure, I empathise with her. Whoever is or was once a 20-something year old, with a heavy baggage of disappointments on their back, will understand where Alicia is coming from. She can be easily relatable to.
It just didn't clique with me. La Garza is a character who, at first, got me intrigued, but very quickly ceased to do that.
It's just me. Maybe in this particular case this book is not for me.
I'm sure other readers will enjoy this novel much more than I did. If you have read books by this author before and enjoyed, consider picking this one up, too.

I listened to the audiobook format and it is really well done. The single narrator does a great job by voicing different characters and using a wide range of tones. I do recommend it.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for allowing me to listen to an advanced free audio copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't wait!! I just received an audio ARC from NetGalley and MacMillan Audio. SO EXCITED!


Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for this audioARC of Last Night in Brooklyn. I was so excited to get my hands on this audiobook. I LOVED Xochitl Gonzalez two previous books and was salivating at the thought of this one. Overall, this was a really enjoyable audiobook experience. The narrator was fantastic and her Brooklyn accents and Boriqua/Spanish accents added to the experience.

We experience a coming of age summer for Alicia Canales. She is living her life upholding everyone’s expectations, especially her mother’s. She is engaged to the Med Student, she graduated from Yale, and she has summered on Martha’s Vineyard with her father’s family. Alicia knows how to navigate the wealthy elite circles, while still drinking bodega coffee and what it was to grow up in Brooklyn. 
Alicia’s reflection of the summer of 2007 is really a reflection of her maturation into her adult self and learning who she is without seeing herself in the reflection of a man or money. It is Alicia coming into her independent life and her womanhood without the influence of the money and entitlement that is gentrifying Brooklyn and the community she loves (her cousin Devin), as well as without the influence of a future doctor husband (her Mother's expectations) or a toxic love that “leaves you in ashes” (Mateo). She was sucked into the absolutely legendary world of La Garza under what she later discovers were false pretenses, though this relationship and loss brought her a lot of clarity and discovery. La Garza is such a larger than life figure. She is all consuming and Alicia is able to reflect on her own life through her relationship with her.

As is her style, Gonzalez story telling has many layers. This story is no different. Hearing Alicia tell her story through her summer experience in La Garza’s world was such a unique way of telling a story of growth and self discovery. I really enjoyed this story.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last Night in Brooklyn is set in 2007, which my brain wants to call 'just a couple years ago' but then I do the math and... yikes, it’s actually forever ago. There’s something weirdly comforting but also kind of unsettling about New York/Brooklyn stories from that era, because you totally recognize the world but you can also see how fast everything is about to change. The book follows Alicia, who is basically just trying to figure out what she wants from life, and then she gets tangled up with this larger-than-life designer (as one does), and then chaos ensues.

There are some genuinely funny lines in this book...Also, the random little advice tidbits sprinkled in? I found humanize the characters. Maybe this is just a me thing, but I kept having to rewind and relisten (I got the audiobook from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for review), because I kept thinking I missed something. I didn’t. I think some parts just didn’t flow super well, kind of choppy, like I needed a little more glue between scenes. Still, it was entertaining! Probably a 3.5 for me, but I’ll round up to 4 because I felt compelled to finish it and needed to know what was going to happen, but I still wanted more? idk if that makes sense!

Thanks netgalley!

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book I needed to read at 26.

I am a longtime fan of Xochitl’s writing but this one hit it out of the park. It’s a relatively simpler novel, compared to Olga and Anita? But nevertheless, absolutely STELLAR💫

I can’t explain how well she captured the complicates emotional truth of friendship and admiration between young women. What it is like to feel free on an evening out on the dance floor (nothing like it). Both the driving energy and recklesss paralysis that comes with craving that release and attention. What it is like to live vicariously through the last precipice of hope before everything changes, something that stirred some intense nostalgia and a true shadow of what I am witnessing in my own hometown today. There is just so much to talk about. It is truly a phenomenon of a book that captures Brooklyn at its finest and its coolest - perhaps the best, last, classic New York Novel.

[Crystal Palmisano-Dillard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that’s more a character study than anything else.

We get to meet a friend group at the beginning of figuring out how to be adults. Each at a very different stage of life. Each wrapped up in the other in messy tangles. Each a part of a Brooklyn neighborhood not long for the world.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!

[rachel x]

"A captivating story about a young woman whose life becomes ensnared in her glamorous neighbour’s secret past, laying bare the mounting tensions at play in a rapidly gentrifying, early 2000’s Fort Greene, Brooklyn."

[Danielle Goonan · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is no one who more authentically and accurately writes about the Brooklyn that raised me. She outdid herself with this last one. The best books make you feel, and this one left me in tears, with conflicting emotions, and thankful that I knew the Brooklyn that was.

[Sharon Kleban · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book touches so many nerves: innocence to experience, rags to riches, identity, love, disappointment, and betrayal, and being 28 years old in a city that still offers roots and a place to discover yourself. Brooklyn feels like the backdrop of the story.

[Maddie Marriott · Rating 4 out of 5]

lots to love, just some timeline fuzziness and oversaturation of characters